Advantages of 12 inch speakers...
- Thread starter gripweed
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The Golden Boy
Fleecy Sweaterologist
Re: Advantages of 12 inch speakers...
I don't use 10s for guitar- I've kind of found out in the course of using both 10s and 15s for bass, the response of the larger speaker is a bit slower- but there's more depth in the larger speaker. As far as bass goes, it's kind of the difference in tone between Flea (10s) and Geddy Lee (15s). I'd imagine the resultant sound for guitar is kind of similar- the smaller speaker is going to emphasize the mids a bit more than the larger speaker and the larger speaker will have more depth.
I don't use 10s for guitar- I've kind of found out in the course of using both 10s and 15s for bass, the response of the larger speaker is a bit slower- but there's more depth in the larger speaker. As far as bass goes, it's kind of the difference in tone between Flea (10s) and Geddy Lee (15s). I'd imagine the resultant sound for guitar is kind of similar- the smaller speaker is going to emphasize the mids a bit more than the larger speaker and the larger speaker will have more depth.
the guy who invented fire
Fuzzy. Guitars
Re: Advantages of 12 inch speakers...
Evrybody seems to really get down on 10's for guitar use and I will say that with the RIGHT 10's I have never had a problem getting solid bass or having the sound be "big" enough...I did use an amp with a single 15 for a while and while it was cool for a different texture and tone it could never be a mainstay of my amps...15's are just too big in the bottom most of the time but again a good one can have a great tone.
As for the advantages of 12's I would say there really is none...it's not a better or worse issue, just different. On the surface a 12 should have more low end but I have heard some very thin sounding 12's as well as some very FAT 10's!
Evrybody seems to really get down on 10's for guitar use and I will say that with the RIGHT 10's I have never had a problem getting solid bass or having the sound be "big" enough...I did use an amp with a single 15 for a while and while it was cool for a different texture and tone it could never be a mainstay of my amps...15's are just too big in the bottom most of the time but again a good one can have a great tone.
As for the advantages of 12's I would say there really is none...it's not a better or worse issue, just different. On the surface a 12 should have more low end but I have heard some very thin sounding 12's as well as some very FAT 10's!
ratherdashing
Kablamminator
Re: Advantages of 12 inch speakers...
lol ... on the main page, this shows up as "Advantages of 12 inch ..."
lol ... on the main page, this shows up as "Advantages of 12 inch ..."
ratherdashing
Kablamminator
Re: Advantages of 12 inch speakers...
Ha! I win!
Coin said:
Ha! I win!
vinterland
New member
Re: Advantages of 12 inch speakers...
One of the punchiest guitar sounds I've ever heard was running through a great sounding 4x10. I could see how a 4x10 could really be awesome in some cases.
One of the punchiest guitar sounds I've ever heard was running through a great sounding 4x10. I could see how a 4x10 could really be awesome in some cases.
aleclee
Major General GAS
Re: Advantages of 12 inch speakers...
- Most benchmark rock tones were made with 12" speakers
- There are more speaker & cab options with 12" speakers than with 10" and 15" combined
SpeedDemon
New member
Re: Advantages of 12 inch speakers...
I am thinking about converting to ten inc speakers.... I'm beginning to think I might like the tone better.
I am thinking about converting to ten inc speakers.... I'm beginning to think I might like the tone better.
Vasshu the humanoid typhoon
Unseen
Re: Advantages of 12 inch speakers...
Man that is just too broad a question.
12" gives off a bigger surface, and if voiced that way it will also provide lower lows and push more air.
Mids can also be more clear and defined in 12" speakers.
Man that is just too broad a question.
12" gives off a bigger surface, and if voiced that way it will also provide lower lows and push more air.
Mids can also be more clear and defined in 12" speakers.
frankfalbo
In Fluence Y'all
Re: Advantages of 12 inch speakers...
I guess I'm qualified to respond. For the past 10-15 years, my rig has included a 2x10, 2x12, and 1x15. Sometimes I had two of each. They're all fed seperately, so I can vary the volume and tone to each. I like the blend.
I've done plenty of gigs with just the 2x10. They can completely handle the lows, but they can't push the lows out very far into the room. So for miking and close range stage volume they're fine, but you need a resonating 4x10 if you're going to use 10's as a room filler, and expect it to deliver good, deep lows. 10's can definitely do it, but they need more mass than just two in a small box. With 10's the bass stays tighter, too.
As others have said, 12's are great simply because they have become the standard, but also they cover the entire guitar range very well. A single 12" is enough to be "full range" for a guitar. But I don't like 4x12's, because they're too boomy and boxy. I like a tighter low end than what you get with a 4x12.
15's are tubby. They have a fat, round midrange, and still deliver adequate highs for guitar, but as stated, they're a little slower. So if I had to use one cab, it would be a 2x12 or maybe 4x10. I used just a 2x15 for years, too. It was great, but inadvertently became my "secret signature" sound. And in the end, I didn't want that. I couldn't get the modern "arena rock" attack and tone of the day, no matter what I did with the EQ. It was the cab. But it did begin my love affair with the 15, so I've had 15's in the rig ever since. A 15 for guitar is great, but it boxes you in to a certain kind of tone. With 10's and 12's its a little harder to tell what a guy is using. But I could always hear a 15 on guitar, even after it's been recorded and mastered into a track.
Right now I generally run the 10's with crisp highs and tight, conservative lows. The 12's are wide open vintage crank, and the 15 is deep, soft lows.
If I want a Fender Champ sound I can go just to the 10's, if I want heavy, thunderous lows I can "subwoofer" the 15, (holy cow if you've ever played distortion guitar with a sub you'd pee your pants...What bass player?) and if I want vintage 12" vibe I lower both and focus on the 12's.
And yeah, crap speakers come in all sizes. Amp/cab mismatches are plentiful out there, too. You can't judge speaker size without knowing how it fits into the total equation. A Fender Champ wouldn't sound right feeding a 2x15, and a Mesa Recto wouldn't sound right feeding a 2x10. They both might sound awesome, but not the way the amp is "supposed" to sound. But the size of the individual speaker does not correlate to low end presence. Just remember that. Home theaters use 10's as subs sometimes and it's thunderous. One bass player used an SWR 8x8" that was huge, because of the way it was ported and sized. It had chest-pounding 30hz low end. The low end travel is related to overall speaker cone mass so 4x10's would push more lows into the room than 2x12's, all things being equal. The 12 might have more lows going into the microphone, but not at 40 ft. away.
EDIT: By the way, ES350 said everything I said in just a few lines. You can skip my whole rant and just go back and read his post. :8:
I guess I'm qualified to respond. For the past 10-15 years, my rig has included a 2x10, 2x12, and 1x15. Sometimes I had two of each. They're all fed seperately, so I can vary the volume and tone to each. I like the blend.
I've done plenty of gigs with just the 2x10. They can completely handle the lows, but they can't push the lows out very far into the room. So for miking and close range stage volume they're fine, but you need a resonating 4x10 if you're going to use 10's as a room filler, and expect it to deliver good, deep lows. 10's can definitely do it, but they need more mass than just two in a small box. With 10's the bass stays tighter, too.
As others have said, 12's are great simply because they have become the standard, but also they cover the entire guitar range very well. A single 12" is enough to be "full range" for a guitar. But I don't like 4x12's, because they're too boomy and boxy. I like a tighter low end than what you get with a 4x12.
15's are tubby. They have a fat, round midrange, and still deliver adequate highs for guitar, but as stated, they're a little slower. So if I had to use one cab, it would be a 2x12 or maybe 4x10. I used just a 2x15 for years, too. It was great, but inadvertently became my "secret signature" sound. And in the end, I didn't want that. I couldn't get the modern "arena rock" attack and tone of the day, no matter what I did with the EQ. It was the cab. But it did begin my love affair with the 15, so I've had 15's in the rig ever since. A 15 for guitar is great, but it boxes you in to a certain kind of tone. With 10's and 12's its a little harder to tell what a guy is using. But I could always hear a 15 on guitar, even after it's been recorded and mastered into a track.
Right now I generally run the 10's with crisp highs and tight, conservative lows. The 12's are wide open vintage crank, and the 15 is deep, soft lows.
If I want a Fender Champ sound I can go just to the 10's, if I want heavy, thunderous lows I can "subwoofer" the 15, (holy cow if you've ever played distortion guitar with a sub you'd pee your pants...What bass player?) and if I want vintage 12" vibe I lower both and focus on the 12's.
And yeah, crap speakers come in all sizes. Amp/cab mismatches are plentiful out there, too. You can't judge speaker size without knowing how it fits into the total equation. A Fender Champ wouldn't sound right feeding a 2x15, and a Mesa Recto wouldn't sound right feeding a 2x10. They both might sound awesome, but not the way the amp is "supposed" to sound. But the size of the individual speaker does not correlate to low end presence. Just remember that. Home theaters use 10's as subs sometimes and it's thunderous. One bass player used an SWR 8x8" that was huge, because of the way it was ported and sized. It had chest-pounding 30hz low end. The low end travel is related to overall speaker cone mass so 4x10's would push more lows into the room than 2x12's, all things being equal. The 12 might have more lows going into the microphone, but not at 40 ft. away.
EDIT: By the way, ES350 said everything I said in just a few lines. You can skip my whole rant and just go back and read his post. :8:
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STRATDELUXER97
Stratoblaster Tone Meister
Re: Advantages of 12 inch speakers...
Actually that's an inexperience issue,cause the girls don't need 12 inches....:laugh2:
Coin said:
Actually that's an inexperience issue,cause the girls don't need 12 inches....:laugh2:
STRATDELUXER97
Stratoblaster Tone Meister
Re: Advantages of 12 inch speakers...
What is better?
The cab dimemension,type of material,and speaker type,are what make or break any cab,regardless of the speaker size...
I personally like 12 inch speakers..
What is better?
The cab dimemension,type of material,and speaker type,are what make or break any cab,regardless of the speaker size...
I personally like 12 inch speakers..
drew_half_empty
Looking for Real Life
Re: Advantages of 12 inch speakers...
except when you're looking for high SPL speakers
or when you wanna go for a different sound & not only do you have real limited choices, but you also have to shell out money for 4 speakers instead of 2, and 10" speakers aint that much cheaper than 12's
i'd buy a 4x10 combo, but prolly never just a 4x10 cab, it seems to me like 4x10's are made for a certain amp, where as 2x12's or 4x12's are more versatile
for instance, can you imagine running an orange rocker 30 through a 4x10 with ceramic jensens?
ok well actually that sounds like a decent idea so discard that last point
Mephis said:
except when you're looking for high SPL speakers
or when you wanna go for a different sound & not only do you have real limited choices, but you also have to shell out money for 4 speakers instead of 2, and 10" speakers aint that much cheaper than 12's
i'd buy a 4x10 combo, but prolly never just a 4x10 cab, it seems to me like 4x10's are made for a certain amp, where as 2x12's or 4x12's are more versatile
for instance, can you imagine running an orange rocker 30 through a 4x10 with ceramic jensens?
ok well actually that sounds like a decent idea so discard that last point
